The traditional discipline of art history has been expanded and challenged by new insights and alternative perspectives, resulting in a series of wide-ranging debates on the status of art and its role in culture and history. This reader for the Open University's course, 'Modern Art: Practices and Debates', presents a radical selection of key texts reflecting the intense debates on art and its social role influenced by feminism, Marxism, social and literary theory, linguistics and anthropology. This anthology introduces the reader to these debates and covers the whole range of issues which critics and art historians have focused, offering classic texts from the 1930s to the 1960s alongside those of contemporary authors engaged in current debate.

About the author(s)

Francis Frascina is John Raven Professor of Visual Arts and Jonathan Harris is Lecturer in History of Art and Critical Theory in the Department of Visual Arts, Keele University.

Phaidon is the premier global publisher of the creative arts with over 1,500 titles in print. We work with the world's most influential artists, chefs, writers and thinkers to produce innovative books on art, photography, design, architecture, fashion, food and travel, and illustrated books for children. Phaidon is headquartered in London and New York City. Read more